Around 3 Million Muslims from around the world gathered this year in Mecca for the Hajj (pilgrimage) which is considered the 5th pillar of Islam and this year was observed between October 24-29, 2012.
The Atlantic compiled beautiful photos taken by Hassan Anmar of AP Photo and Amr Abdallah Dalsh of Reuters showing the holiness of this event and its traditions and the steps and emotions that occur during this sacred journey. The long exposure shots show the flow of the pilgrims around the holy Kaaba.